This Story's Going Somewhere
by tokenjew
Summary: Kendall's questionable decisions land him in the last place he'd expect to be. When he meets a girl, who makes this place more bearable he soons realizes there is more than meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

Sitting in one of the uncomfortable chairs that was scattered around the now deserted room, which was soon to be occupied by people any moment, Kendall couldn't help but think about how he had gotten himself stuck here. He thought back to the moment when he was stopped in the hallway in-between classes. Not that he was actually going to go to his fifth period class, but he didn't rule out the idea completely. On that particular day he happened to have been carrying his stash on him. Kendall had been engaging in a rather typical recreational activity for a few years now. In his eyes he never saw it as a deviant behavior like most people. Hell California legalized it, granted it was for medical use only. But a little weed here and there and the typical high school party didn't hurt him much, if anything it seemed to helped. Mostly to get through high school. Everyone needs an outlet to keep them sane during their four years there.

People say, "high school is the best time of your life!" He had heard that blasé phrase on numerous occasions from his mother. "When I was in high school we lived for the Friday night football games! And rooting our school on against rival teams," Kendall's mother told him. "That's not really my scene Mom," he grimaced. "Honey you should really get more involved in school. It would be nice to see you show some school spirit. Instead you're out with your friends. Not doing much," frowning a bit, disappointed that her son was wasting his time. "Okay." He simply replied as a way to stop the conversation before it started going in its typical circle.

This is one of the reasons he hadn't had his car that day. His parents wanted him to show some effort in changing his current path. Which according to them would lead "nowhere fast." So in turn his car privileges were revoked. Instead his close friend Logan was stuck driving. As soon as Logan picked him up early that morning to get to school on time, Kendall immediately pulled a small package of papers out of his pocket. And soon began filling the paper with the green substance that was in a small plastic baggy. "No way dude! Not in my car." Logan said quickly looking out of the corner of his eye to see Kendall licking the paper to sealed it securely. "Don't worry. I'm preparing for lunch. It cuts out the few minutes I waste wrapping it." He placed the small joint in the bag and tucked it in his sock. They pulled up to school just as the sun began beating down, increasing the temperature to an almost unpleasant degree. "Why do we get here so damn early?" Kendall wined. "So I can get a good parking spot. Kinda like this one," Logan said just as he pulled into the first spot, smirking. "It's not worth it, that's just my opinion." "Yeah well you're not driving are you now?" Sighing Kendall took his bag out of the backseat. Placing one of the straps over his shoulder and heading into school. Kendall thought about asking Logan if he could keep his pot in his car. But Kendall didn't even ask due to the fact that Logan was a stickler about not keeping anything in his car that could land him in jail. In turn Kendall was forced to carry it with him.

When the school officer passed him in the hallway, he quickly grew suspicious of Kendall's blood-shot eyes and peculiar smell that was attached to his clothes. Kendall had grown so accustom to the smell he didn't realize that it was almost permanently attached to him. After eyeing him over the officer stopped him and did a "random search." The officer soon discovered his stashed that was neatly wrapped up and "hidden" in Kendall's colorful sock. That's how he ended up here, sitting in a "recovery program for at risk youth teens." Let's not beat around the bush, he was in rehab. In order to avoid jail time, because of the amount he was carrying on him, Kendall opted to get help for his so-called addiction and agreed to go through the program. Once he successfully went through the program in its entirety he'd be a free man.


	2. Chapter 2

Kendall soon became antsy in the uncomfortable silence of the scarcely decorated room. The room had a white board on the opposite wall as Kendall taking up the entire wall, which didn't ease his anxiety. He was usually pretty easy-going and adapted to new situations quite easily. But the fact that the room had paintings which resembled a doctor's office on the other two walls, made him believe he'd never feel comfortable to talk openly there. Doctor offices never put anyone at ease. He questioned why if this was an environment for recovery, it look as though it would be the last place someone would want to open up.

Before he became too deep in thought and pondered the racing thoughts going through his head, he cocked his head towards the door. Kendall heard the sound of footsteps and voices echo through the hallway. A few kids soon joined him filing in one by one, laughing at something one of them had just said he assumed. These kids were probably all forced to be here for the same or similar reason as him. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Kendall sat quietly in the corner trying not to draw too much attention to himself. It wasn't until the other kids sat down that they noticed Kendall off in the corner. His chair leaning against the wall with his head resting against the wall behind him. His eyes were slightly closed, trying to relax before the night began.

"Hey, new kid?" A young man blurted out from across the room. Kendall put his chair down and looked over at him. "Hey," he replied scanning over everyone. From the looks of it everyone seemed to look as if they were still in high school. They were probably around his age as well, luckily he didn't recognize any of them. The last thing he needed was for someone at his school to know that he was stuck in rehab. In due time they would figure it out. Considering the fact that if he was to attend a party he wouldn't engage in his usual activities.

The guy who referred to Kendall as "new kid" must have stood at least 6 feet tall. He was broad and looked as though there wasn't an ounce of fat on his body. His physical appearance made him almost intimidating. Even though Kendall was probably just a bit shorter than him he defiantly wasn't as muscular. The young man had short brown hair, perfectly styled resembling a male model. Looking at him most people would probably assume he was one. Lets just say he didn't look like your typical high school student. Kendall's eyes stopped when he saw a petite girl sitting at one of the ends of the semi-circle of chairs. The group all sat close to each other, keeping a safe distance from the new guy that would most likely upset the dynamic of their current group. The girl had long brown hair going past her shoulders a bit with a slight wave to it. Her features we all petite matching her small frame and her fair skin made her look angelic and so innocent. Her light Brown eyes seemed to memorized him, he couldn't tear his eyes away. They put him in a trance like state until someone snapped him back to reality, "Did you just start?" the broad muscular boy asked him. _Yeah, Have you seen me here before? Didn't think so. _Kendall thought to himself.

"Yep. First day." He said, the words coming off not as bitter as he felt about being there. His eyes began scanning the room again, but his eyes stopped on the girl once more. "Well, I'm James," said the broad boy who happened to be sitting next to the girl. But before the petite girl could introduce herself, a counselor came in.

"Okay guys, lets start group," she stated. She must have been in her last twenties or early thirties. She wasn't overly enthusiastic like he expected, there was no trace of the stereotypically drug counselor you would see from movies or TV shows. She had a laid back attitude from the looks of it that calmed Kendall's nerves. "But before we start, Brooke I guess you missed your name on the board? You have to drop," the counselor announced pointing to the door.

The small petite brunette got up in a huff, mumbling "Sorry." as she walked out of the room and headed towards the bathroom. "Kendall you too. I know it's suppose to be random but it's your first day... So..." She shrugged almost apologizing. Kendall followed Brooke out of the room and towards the bathroom. He saw her at the a table in between the mens and women's room writing on a piece of paper. The table sat conveniently a few feet to the left of the door he just existed. Grabbing a piece of paper he started scanning the form, "So what exactly am I suppose to do here?"

"Well, write your name here, the date. And..." Brooke explained as she pointed to the lines on the paper. She then reached under the table to grab something, her hand emerged holding a plastic bag with a cup inside. "And pee in this." She finished finally raising her head to look at him. _Those damn eyes._

"Seriously?" Kendall asked, a puzzled look written all over his face.

"Yup. It gets sent off to be tested. It's their way of making sure we aren't using and are staying on track." She informed him heading to the bathroom, opening the door and disappearing inside. But not before looking at him, "also put the sticker on the cup and place the paper in the bag." After Kendall filled the cup he waited for Brooke to figure out what he was supposed to with his, uh sample.

"What am I suppose to do with it, after, ya know." Making sure to keep the plastic bag containing his sample hidden behind his back. "Under here," she said, discarding her bag in a blue bin under the table. He placed the bag in the bin, surely to be sent to the lab only to find pot in his system. She wasn't full of much to say, which intrigued him. He wanted to know more. What was an innocent, sweet looking girl like her doing here? There was much more than what met the eye. Everyone has a different story, he was curious as to what hers might be. He quickly discarded his bag in the blue bin before hurrying to catch up with Brooke and going back into the room once more. If this is what happens in just the first ten minutes of group, he had no idea what to expect for the next 3 hours.

**Very surprised and excited when I saw you lovely people review this! (just to inform you guys, some of this is based of my real life experiences.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Figured I'd add this chapter. Also, finished a few more. So I'll update soon! **

Reentering the bleak room dragging his feet along the mundane brown carpet with hints of blue scattered throughout, Kendall rolled his eyes. All he wanted to do was run. But the consequence of that is something he didn't even want to think about. There were endless possibilities as to what might happen if he did so. Even though in that moment he didn't give a shit. Reluctantly Kendall followed Brooke back to the room, he needed to get accustom to it, who knows how long he'll be here.

Oddly enough he couldn't help but think that Brooke might make this experience bearable. Walking back to his previous seat he felt every pair of eyes watching him. Everyone had their own questions and speculations as to why he was there. They mostly made their judgement based on the way the tall slender boy, with minimal muscles, looked. His good looks made some jump to the conclusion that he was that guy who was able to get away with anything based on that alone. Brooke however, didn't let his dirty blonde hair paired with his emerald-green eyes and light scruff make her jump to conclusions. It wasn't in her nature to judge anyone. On account of the fact that she herself, didn't like being judged based on her looks alone. Taking one look at her was bound to raise some eyebrows. She didn't look like the typical person to be in rehab.

Addressing Kendall the counselor began, "First off, if you weren't informed already, this is typically a 3 month or so program. But there are some exceptions," giving a glance in Brooke's direction. One of the other boys piped up, "Brooke's been here for 5." Kendall simply nodded in no ones direction particularly, more so acknowledging what the boy had said. Brooke sat quietly suddenly becoming interested in the carpet, averting her eyes there as a way to avoid eye contact. She was either embarrassed or just didn't like the attention. It became clear that she was uncomfortable by the way she began tugging on the sleeves of her zip up sweatshirt.

With a sigh the counselor continued, "In ordered to complete the program you need to earn enough points to graduate from IOP, the Intensive Outpatient Program. After that you will go to Aftercare. The good thing about Aftercare is that you will only have to attend two days a week instead of three." Kendall wasn't interested in what the counselor had to say. With all the attention on him in that moment he grew uncomfortable. He prefered to avoid situations that made him the center of attention.

"No wonder you've been here for so long," Kendall mumbled, quietly looking at Brooke. He didn't realize what he was thinking had slipped out of his mouth. He instantly regretted it until he looked at her. Looking up from fiddling with her nails she gave Kendall a slight smirk. The other guys in the group mostly gave her shit for being there for so long. From the looks of it Brooke didn't mind the boy's bold comment. Kendall seemed like a breath of fresh air. Brooke has seen her fair share of people come and go. Some of them lasting a few weeks, others only a day. She was interested to see how long he'd last.

Clearing her throat, causing Kendall to break eye contact with Brooke, the counselor went on with what was expected of him. "You will attend at least two AA meetings a week. You will need to get this signed off by someone, other than people from group, who attends the meeting," she handed Kendall a piece of paper with which would provide proof that he went. "That's one way to earn points. As well as coming here and participating. You can ask these guys for good meetings to attend. If not we have plenty of pamphlets with over 100 meetings around here. So you don't have any excuse for not going."

Squinting his eyes he looked at the counselor baffled by what she was saying. "But I'm not an alcoholic." Kendall chimed in.

"You can also attend Narcotics Anonymous/NA meetings if you'd like?"

"I'm warning you dude, not the best idea. People there are a little intense. Their problems go beyond a little weed and drinking." James warned Kendall.

It became clear by James' behavior that he felt as though he owned the place. Especially with the way he leaned back lacing his fingers behind his head, as though he knew more than others.

"Seriously man, the last NA meeting I went to a girl got so pissed off that she broke the bottom of the coffee pot and threatened some girl with the glass." Another boys said.

"Guess I won't be going there." Kendall mumbled.

"Exactly. But I don't want that little story Bryan told you to deter you from checking it out. But you'll also be expected to get a sponsor once you're ready. It's mandatory in AC so you can work the steps and check in with them when you have the urge to use. To completely graduate from this program you need to work through the 4th step." the counselor said matter-of-factly.

"4th step… Of AA? You can't be serious?" he paused waiting for a response. "That's not what I'm in here for." Pointing to the floor in a circular motion, a cocky attitude.

"Sorry, there are no exceptions," she finished.

Kendall thought to himself. Maybe it would have been easier just to have gone to jail. He probably would have been better off. This program was going to entail a lot of unnecessary work in his eyes. He might as well say good-bye to his social life and get use to these people. He'd be spending a lot of time with them. Not to mention this room and the counselor.

"James can you start us off?"

"Sure Julie. James. 18. Alcohol and Weed. 8/15. Three meetings," he said holding three fingers up, "And I contacted my sponsor twice. Plus I worked with him on Step 2 before one of the meetings." Pride radiating off his face after every word he spoke.

James finished nodding and looked to another boy. The boy was short, well compared to James everyone looked short. He towered over most people he encountered. The boy's blonde hair covered his forehead and partly blocked his vision. With a flip of his hair he leaned forward, rubbed his hands together, while resting his elbows on his knees and began to speak. "Bryan. 17. 7/22. Ecstasy and Alcohol. I went with Kelly to four meetings. And spoke with my sponsor only once."

Bryan looked at the girl on his right, pointing his thumb at a girl with not so subtle purple hair. She must have been rebelling against not only the system but her parents obviously. "Oh," breaking the girl from her dazed off look. "Kelly. 19. Yeah, not my choice to be considering I'm over 18," she huffed out. Her disdain for the place was palpable. This girl gave Kendall a run for his money on hating this place.

"Fuck. DOC, I don't know anymore. Dabbled in mostly everything." Furrowing his eyebrows Kendall stared at her. "Drug of choice. Don't worry you'll catch on to the lingo pretty quickly. Where was I? Oh, you could say that it was coke. If you took one look at my bank account." Leaning back she put her hand to face, dragging it down as she closed eyes, concentrating on her next thought. "8/17. Sadly I relapsed awhile back," explaining herself to Kendall, trying to avoid the part where she would have to share her story. "Four meetings with Bryan." Leaning over she pitched Bryan's cheek. Bryan and Kelly had a relationship that was like that of a brother and sister. There was nothing romantic going on between them which was clear just by the way acted towards each other. Two people in recovery being in a relationship was frowned upon, and something that should be avoided. "That's it." Kelly finished up.

The only other girl in the group began as soon as Kelly had finished. "Anna. 18. Pills and such, ya know." Kendall started zoning off not really caring what everyone else had to say. Looking from person to person Kendall saw that there were the stereotypical people you'd expect to find in a rehab facility. There was the typical stoner, a guy that appeared to be from the wrong side of the tracks, the rebellious teenager and the jock who finally got caught. Brooke and Kendall didn't seem to fit in with this crowd.

Once a few more kids took their turn, it was Kendall's turn to introduce himself.  
"Kendall. 18." Kendall spoke once all eyes were on him. Catching on to the fact that first you state your name then your age. Thanks to Kelly's help, he knew he had to explain his "DOC." "Drug of choice, weed. I guess alcohol on occasion. But I don't think that constitutes being an alcoholic." Shooting the counselor a sideways glare. Kendall stopped waiting for someone to tell him what he had to say next. "Your sobriety date? When's the last time you used?" he grimaced at the word "used." Something about it didn't sit well with him, it made he seem like delinquent. "Well, yesterday. Not gonna lie. I knew I'd be coming here, so why not indulge in it before it is taken away from me?" he said earning a few smiles of understanding and a chuckle.

"Okay and you haven't been to any meetings so we'll move on."

"Brooke?" Julie, the counselor said. It was only after James had said her name did Kendall learn it.  
Kendall sat at the edge of his seat, anticipating what the girl had to say. He was fixated on her, excited to finally learn a little more about this girl.

"Brooke. 18. Sobriety date was four weeks ago. Marijuana. Three meetings. My sponsor is out-of-town but I'll see her sometime this week." Brooke spoke, hurrying through her introduction. Leaning back Kendall let out a surprised "huh."

"No ones immune to relapse." Julie stated, figuring her sobriety date was the cause for his reaction.

He folded his arms and bite his bottom lip. Well that didn't tell him much. Besides the fact that she didn't use the word pot, weed, or any of the choice words his friends use. He found that a little interesting and intriguing.  
He didn't want to get to know the others. His main focus was getting to know Brooke. He knew he should be focused on his "recovery," but he figured he'd glide through it. Probably graduating by the skin of his teeth, like he did with most everything else he's done in his short 18 years thus far. From the smirks and glances Brooke shot his way, he knew he was a hurdle she'd have to overcome to finish the rest of the program and vis versa. If someone where to ask Brooke, and she were to answer truthfully, she'd agree with what Kendall was thinking.


	4. Chapter 4

******Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. (I need to try and update regularly, if people like this story that is.) But thank you (****OxyBtrSwag & GlambertLovesBTR)** for reviewing! Seriously didn't expect anyone to read this truthfully.

Once group ended Kendall observed everyone either going off into small groups or exiting the building all together. He noticed out of the corner of his eye Brooke heading for the door, without saying much to anyone as she passed. He waited a few moments till he got up, making sure not to make it obvious that he was following the mysterious girl. But he stopped in his tracks once he heard a voice, "Hey new kid." This nickname is going to get old fast, he thought to himself. "You going to a meeting tonight?" James said once he caught up with him.

"I might?" Kendall shrugged. Even though he had no intention of going. That meant he'd have to look up one to go to and then go through the agonizing trouble of actually going, frankly he was too lazy to do it. And had little motivation.

"You should come. There's this one in particular we all go to. The meeting is usually pretty full, so it's easy to slip in without being stopped by 10 people trying to introducing themselves." There goes the lazy excuse, Kendall chuckled inwardly. "Might as well go right? Get it out of the way. The sooner I get out of here the better." Kendall replied, knowing he couldn't avoid it forever. The reality of everything was finally hitting him, there was no way of getting out of this. He had to suck it up and just do it.

"It's really not as bad as you think. Just don't piss off the counselors and it doesn't hurt to throw a few smiles and some charm their way." James said with a wink.

While James' tactics might work for him, it wouldn't benefit Kendall in the least. He feared his "charm" would come off as fake or arrogant. It wouldn't be that far from the truth if it came off as fake. His current motto was "fake it till you make it." Taking James' advice would set him back further and he couldn't risk that.

"I'll keep that in mind," Kendall lied. "Here's the address. Need the directions?" James asked handing Kendall a piece of paper after he had scribbled the address on it. "Nah, I think I can handle it." Kendall spoke trying to hurry up and end the conversation.

James walked alongside Kendall as they headed towards the elevators. He was becoming a real pain in ass. But Kendall did appreciate that he wanted to help him out. In all honesty, James didn't seem_ that_ awful. Just someone Kendall wouldn't usually associate with if he had the choice, but given his current situation he didn't have much of a choice. The rest of the people in group showed no interest in getting to know him, so Kendall didn't see the point of trying to get to know them. James seemed to be a somewhat caring guy with an exterior that didn't match. Although he walked around with all the confidence in the world, deep down he was just as insecure as the rest of them. He overcompensated for his insecurities instead of letting it get to him. It's easier that way, avoiding reality and evading the truth seemed less painful than facing it head on.

Still attempting to catch up with Brooke he quickened his pace. Unfortunately he arrived at the elevator right as the doors were closing. "Shit," he cursed under his breath. Pounding his fist on the doors after they had closed. Keeping both hands flat on the doors Kendall dropped his head letting out a sigh. With a sly smile James looked at the side of Kendall's face, who's eyes were glued to the large steel silver doors, "Don't even try."

Lifting his head towards James, Kendall furrowed his eyebrows "Try what?" suddenly going on the defense. Looking in front of him, James put his hands in his pockets as an even bigger smile spread across his face. "Her." pointing his chin towards the doors while shaking his head slightly, "Not going to happen." Kendall removed his hands from the door, letting them fall to his sides and straighten up. "Why is that?"

"I've been here almost the entire time she has. Minus a few months. And nothing's happened between her and I. Not due to lack of trying, trust me." Apparently James seemed to be completely disregarding the whole 'no relationships while in recovery' rule. James wouldn't have considered it a relationship, he wasn't really interested in that. Let's just say he wasn't a one woman type of guy. He figured he's young so why not live it up while he could!

Raising an eyebrow Kendall signaled for him to continue. "Listen man," now facing Kendall, "If I can't make it happen," exhaling and placing his hand on his own chest, "it's highly unlikely it will happen for anyone else."

He was trying to let Kendall down easy but it wouldn't dissuade him. It was becoming more obvious now how James worked. He got whatever he wanted when he wanted it. With the exception of Brooke. Which at first, made the boy rather irritated. But it was short lived when his next conquest appeared. At school James was defiantly a "ladies man" you could say. Never backing down even if a girl didn't seem interested. His charm and good looks allowed him to always seal the deal and get away with a lot. His game put men twice his age to shame. But it didn't matter what James had said, as far as Kendall was concerned he was going to give it a shot. Nothing James said would change that.

Without saying much more, the elevator doors opened. Kendall anxiously walked in biting his nails. "So how'd you end up here?" Kendall questioned, changing the focus on James rather than himself. Also trying to make the elevator ride somewhat pleasant.

"I got charged with intent to sell. It's bullshit. I know everyone says they have a reason why they had their stash on them. Mine is the most cliche of them all. It wasn't mine." James even laughed as he spoke knowing how ridiculous it sounded.

James had been pulled over for speeding. Which wasn't surprising considering the luxury car his parents bought him for his 16th birthday. James' parents were well off, never having to worry about money and allowing their son to indulge in whatever he wanted. Being the privileged son that he was, his parents buying him a car on his 16th birthday wasn't even a question.

That being said, for some reason or other the police searched the car, finding a scale, a hefty sum of money and illegal drugs. So they slapped him with with intent to sell. The money had come from his parents, of course, and the scale really wasn't his. The drugs on the other hand had been his. But luckily for James his father was a pretty damn good and successful lawyer. In turn he was able to make sure James' punishment was lessened, on account of the way the police went about searching the car.

James' father was able to obtain the video tape from the cop car from that night. The taped showed James being pulled over but what the officer had said is what allowed him to avoid jail time. On the tape the officer had said something about wanting to "catch James. But making sure he won't out of it." James' father was well known around town and had dealt with this officer in a past case. When the verdict didn't come out the way the officer wanted he developed a personal vendetta against James' father. So due to the bias the officer had and what he had said, the search was performed without probable cause, in turn it was done illegal. But that didn't change the fact that James had drugs in his car. So he was put on house arrest for a few months, which was thankfully over. Then he was forced to go to rehab.

"That sucks man," is all Kendall managed to say before they reached the first floor. They exited the elevator and made their way to the parking lot. As they made their way to their cars Kendall spotted Brooke as she leaned against the brick building.

"I'll meet up with you there." Kendall said to James his eyes locked on Brooke. She was standing off smoking a cigarette next to the building. "Good luck," was all James said before hopping in his car and driving off. Whether James was talking about getting to the meeting or talking to Brooke he wasn't quite sure.

Even though Kendall's preferred choice of things to smoke wasn't cigarettes he still decided to go over to her. Assuming he'd have a cigarette along with her. Plus he didn't have any cigarettes on him so it seemed like the perfect icebreaker. "Hey," he said quietly trying not to startle her because her back was to him. She turned around to discover a nervous Kendall standing there. "Hey," she replied quietly. She had become lost in her own thoughts as she stared off at the night sky.

"Mind if i bum one from you? Seems I forgot mine." he said patting his pockets making it seem more believable and while emphasizing his point. "Sure. Need a light?" she said after handing him the Tabasco filled brown and white stick."Yeah, thanks." He said watching her pull the green lighter from her bra.

"For safe keeping?" He joked.

"These guys usually steal my lighters. They seem to lose theirs very easily. Kinda like you misplacing your pack." she said handing Kendall the lighter. "Yeah." Kendall sighed feeling slightly embarrassed. At that moment he had wished he was James, just to be able to reply with a better comment.

Lighting the cigarette the harsh taste of method filled his lungs. Being an avid smoker of weed, there were occasions where he'd smoke a cigarette, but he never got use to the taste. He handed her back the lighter which she placed securely back in its former spot. She chuckled at the disgusted expression on his face, which he was trying to desperately hide. Her laugh made Kendall smile, it was so melodic and genuine.

This was a completely different girl from group just ten minutes ago. Which Kendall didn't mind, in fact he rather enjoyed it. She seemed to have loosened up a bit. During the group discussion she hadn't said anything at all. Brooke tended to be a bit more reserved. But when she began talking to Kendall, he put her at ease. Allowing a playful side to come out. The last time she'd let that side show had been so long ago the feeling felt foreign, awkward almost. Deciding not to fight it, she just decided to just go with it.

Kendall's first thought was to ask about James, probably because he had spent most of group talking with him and no one else. "What's James' story?" he finally spoke up, as smoke escaped past his lips. "James is a little pigheaded. If you couldn't tell." She replied taking a drag of her cigarette.

Laughing Kendall looked down at his feet, "I sensed that." He felt dumb asking about him when he knew everything he wanted to know. He wanted to know about her. "Don't worry. He's not that bad. Unless you reject him, that's a different story. He's pretty persistent." She finished saying.

"Oh yeah? How so?" Taking another puff exhaling out of the corner of his mouth, cocking his head slightly so he didn't blow smoke in her direction. Finally getting use to the taste. He was curious to hear about James' attempts at trying to win her over. Making sure he didn't follow in his footsteps.

"Took him about 3 week to realize I wasn't interested." she responded. "Well maybe you gave off the wrong signals?" Kendall shrugged. Brooke rarely opened up, much rather talked to many people too much, not even her sponsor knew her whole story. It surprised her that she was allowing herself to a conversation with Kendall especially after just meeting him. Usually she'd make sure to end a conversation before it had even begun.

"Doubtful. If you call ignoring his calls, going to different meetings than him on purpose, and telling him straight out 'I'm not interested,' giving the wrong signals. I'd agree with you," amused at the boys naive attitude towards James. She took another drag from her cigarette. "Point taken." Putting his hands up in surrender.

"I wouldn't have taken you as a smoker." he said watching her petite mouth wrap around the end of the cigarette. She inhaled and as she exhaled Kendall couldn't help but look at her lips. They were perfectly shaped with the bottom being slightly plumper than the top. Kendall didn't let his mind wonder too far as he took in her features. The other normal instincts a young male had quickly disappeared at the sound of her voice.

"Well, I swapped one addiction for another," holding up the cigarette between her index and middle finger. "They say people like us usually have an addictive personality." It just comes with the territory, hence why she was in rehab. It had effected all aspects of her life.

"People like us?" Kendall questioned. "Well addicts in general." Acknowledging the fact that she had a problem. "I'm not an addict though." he said confidently. "Well if you're in the program long enough you'll come around." She chuckled. "Pretty sure that's not going to happen." he concluded. Reassuring himself as well as her that he wasn't an addict nor did he want to be labeled as one. The stigma attached to it left a sour taste in his mouth. How society viewed an "addict" was usually with pity and he never wanted people to feel sorry for him.

Both of them enjoyed the silence as they exhaled the smoke from their lungs. Staring at the night sky. Upon entering the building, before group, the sky had been different shades of yellow, orange and red as the sun was beginning its descent in west. Now that group had ended the sky had been taken over by black with a few shimmers of light cascading throughout it from the stars. I was quite beautiful.

After what he'd expected to be an awkward silence he spoke again, "Are you going to the meeting tonight?"

With a crooked smile she replied "Not sure. We'll see." Brooke dropped her cigarette on the ground and stepped on it with her black converse, putting it out. Looking up at Kendall she cocked her head to the left, "So why are you here?" Making sure to emphasizing the word 'you' as she spoke. Brooke had no idea what had come over her. She had just kept the conversation going even though she had the perfect opportunity to escape.

"It's not very exciting." wrinkling his nose shrugging of the question. "Well everyone here's for one reason or anything," she inquired. "Well, what's your reason?" Kendall said while arching one of his thick eyebrows playfully mocking her. Grinning she simply replied, "It's not very exciting." Throwing back what he just said in his face. "Well hopefully you'll fill me in soon." Kendall suggested. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. And from the looks of it either are you," he joked.

"We'll see." restating her earlier statement. "I can't make you any promises."

"Why is that," he questioned looking at the last of his cigarette realizing he had smoked it to the filter. He dropped it and stepped on it. "I don't make promises unless I know I can keep them." she explained."That's commendable." he said.

"Well, 'Expectation is the root of all heartache'. Getting your hopes up for something only to be let down in the end is something I try to avoid. I'd advice you to do the same." she hinted. She suddenly became frightened that she was letting her guard down. She was attempting to retreat and fast. Angry with herself for not backing out of the conversation when she had the chance. She just hoped what she said had gotten through to Kendall.

"Did you just quote Shakespeare?" he said in disbelief. Even though Kendall smoked and didn't try very hard in school, he was bright and only put effort into what he enjoyed. And one thing he always loved was writing. Writing and reading went hand in hand. Reading and deciphering different authors writing styles always fascinated him.

"I'm impressed you picked up on that. Its a common misconception that he said it." she admitted. There was much more than met the eye she thought looking at him. Taking in his piercing greens eyes. Silence fell between them.

Kendall sighed, "I better get going. Don't want to be late for the meeting." Rolling his eyes as he said it. Turning around as he walked to his car he thanked her, "Thanks for the smoke." She nodded her head and headed to her car.

As they departing he couldn't shake the feeling that she was different. No girl has ever made him question what came out of his mouth. He went through their conversation over and over, mentally kicking himself for not asking or saying certain things. He turned up the radio trying to drown out his racing thoughts as he drove away.

**These chapters keep getting longer :)**

**Just to fill you in the background for James is actually based off of someone I knew. Writing this has been kind of therapeutic in a way. Should I update weekly maybe? **


	5. Chapter 5

**So weird you said that, I hope this chapter will clear _some_ of that all up. Thank you love for reading and reviewing. (I had to edit this. I didn't like how it was and there were to many errors. Sorry about that.)**

Kendall pulled up to a small brick building, at first glance it appeared warm and inviting. As much as he had hoped that feeling would rub off on him, it didn't. The meetings that took place there were meant to be relaxing and a way to talk about your problems with people who had similar experiences. In turn they would help you and give you advice on whatever you may be going through. To Kendall, it meant none of these things. It was just another place for people to badger him with questions, trying to get to know him.

It gave him anxiety, of the unknown. The unknown path his life was now taking, his unknown future. And curiosity of how Brooke might be a part in of his future. How this whole bump in the road would effect him. That's how he viewed it, just a bump. Once he was over the bump he'd be back to his normal life.

Like most people his age he felt lost. Deciding what he wanted to do with his life. What college he was going to or if he was going at all. He never really thought more than a few weeks in the future. His mother would constantly tell him to see the "big picture and get serious." Coping in general, along with all of the sudden changes recently, wasn't his strong suit. Everyone says "it gets better and everything will fall into place," which caused Kendall laugh. He was still patiently waiting for that time to come. For now he would try to deal with the cards he was dealt.

"This should be interesting." He thought out loud, pulling into an empty parking spot. Putting his car in park and turning off the engine he took a deep breath, bracing himself. Stepping out of the car Kendall looked around, hoping to see some familiar faces. The building was illuminated by a few outside lights that hung on sides of the front doors. Most of the light came from the windows, there were no blinds covering them, allowing all the light from inside to pass through. There was a bench nestled by the door where a group of smoker were sitting. Looking in the window Kendall saw a few couches occupied with people conversing, people of all ages where chatting and laughing, genuinely seeming to be enjoying themselves. Scanning over the few people outside Kendall spotted some of his fellow group members. They were sitting next to some benches surround by trees, that was closely situated by the building.

He placed his hands in his pockets and made his way over. "Hi," Bryan said with slight hesitation, "Kendall, is it?" "Yeah." He smiled, grateful for not being called 'new kid.' "Glad you made it out tonight. Once you get one under your belt it gets a lot easier." Bryan said. Kelly was standing close by smoking a cigarette. Looking around it was apparent that mostly everyone smoked here. It was defiantly a common theme among addicts, like Brooke had said, switching one addiction for another. He said the the first thing that popped in his head, "Can I have one?"

"Yeah sure," taking out her pack handing one to Kendall. He lite it and as he inhaled it the taste was starting to grow on him. But it was an acquired taste, that's for sure. He was beginning to not mind it that much. He truthfully kind of enjoyed it, partly for the social ascpet. And the way the nictione helped him to relax.

"Thanks Kelly!" Bryan said reaching for her pack. She quickly brought the pack to her body, out of Bryan's reach, who was reaching his hand out attempting to grab one. "Bryan you're 17!" her tone was laced with a sarcasm and seriousness. "I can't let a minor have one!" She chuckled teasing him.

"We both know I've done worse. One measly cigarette won't hurt." Bryan retorted.

The nicotine started to calm Kendall's nerves as he watched them.

As he watched the exchange, his mind wandered off. The way Bryan and Kelly treated each other reminded him of his brother, which tugged at his heartstrings. In that moment, Kendall thought about Kevin and how desperately he wished he could change things if given the chance. He and his brother alway messed around like that, while keeping each other best interest at heart. Kevin was only two years older than Kendall causing them to form a strong bond throughout their adolescence. Growing up they were inseparable.

But that changed rather quickly when Kendall was around fourteen. He saw a change in his brother. Kevin had alway had a laid back and easy going attitude and was normally a happy person. Of course he had his bad days like most people, he's only human Kendall thought.

Little did he know, Kevin's ups and downs weren't something everyone experienced. His ups and downs were rather extreme. Soon everyday was a struggle and Kendall began to realize that something was wrong. Kendall had surprisingly saw it before his parents. The isolation, the erratic changes in his mood and the sleepless nights from not just his brother but Kendall as well. His brother, being older, was always taking care of Kendall but the roles had changed so quickly Kendall had to adapt basically overnight. It wasn't until that one fateful night that changed everything. That night is what caused Kendall to be filled with resentment, guilt and shame.

Laughter erupted braking him from his thoughts. The laughter was coming from the entrance of the building, Kendall should have known it was coming from James as he turned to look. James was existing the building, a steaming cup of coffee in hand, walking with an older gentleman. "Kendall! You made it." He yelled across the parking lot. The other gentlemen walking along side James gave him a pat on the back telling him he'd see him inside before departing.

Walking over, James couldn't hide his beaming smile. "I said I'd be here." Kendall replied dryly. "Awesome man! Well we go inside, in a few minutes and I'll help you out. It's become second nature to me now." Kendall dreaded the thought that this too would become second nature to him soon enough.

A few minutes later Kendall found himself sitting down in a room similar to the group room, although this was slightly larger. The chairs were set up in rows with a large wooden table in the front of the room. Situated behind the table were two chair that were soon to be occupied by whoever was chairing the meeting. Kendall saw a few pieces of white laminated pieces of paper spread across the table, along with a large stack of blue books set off to the side. Kendall followed James to the front of the room where James grabbed two books and handed one to Kendall, before sitting down in two empty seat in the first row. Kendall looked down at the blue book, then stared at James like he had two heads whispering "Really?" As he looked at the blue book it only two largely printed letters on it, "AA." What Kendall really wanted to say "This is bullshit." He wanted to tell everyone that he wasn't suppose to be there.

Two older gentleman came into the room and sat behind the table. Silence fell upon the room quickly as their attention was brought to the front of the room. One of the gentleman must have been in his fifties with mostly gray hair covering this head. He looked as though he could have been in a biker gang, with his leather jacket full of patches and hard exterior. But once he spoke, his voice was calm and nothing like you'd expect. The first thing he said instantly made Kendall's heart skip a beat, "Is this anyone's first time coming to AA."

Kendall attempted to duck down, hoping not to draw attention to himself. But James quickly grabbed his arm by the elbow raising it up. Jerking his arm away quickly. "Ass" he whispered to James. "It's Kendall's!" James chuckled. Everyone clapped, Kendall guessed it was a welcome and a congratulations on the fact that he had the courage to seek help. But that was a lie, he wasn't there by choice.

"Welcome Kendall." The older man said. Addressing the large group he spoke again, raising his voice to make sure everyone could hear, "We need four or five guys so we can start our first step meeting for Kendall here," cocking his head toward Kendall. A few men stood up, along with James and the gray-haired gentleman. Patting Kendall on the arm, James pointed his head towards the double door that lead to the meeting room, telling him to follow him.

Kendall followed the group of men to a separate room. The room was actually pretty cozy, it had a large plush couch and a few chairs around. Kendall took a seat in a chair, making sure to keep his distance from everyone. "Welcome again Kendall. I'm Jim. This meeting is just to help you out. So you know how the program works and if there are any way we could help you." Jim said.

James began speaking before Kendall had the chance to open his mouth, "He's in the same program as me. Today's actually his first day," proud of himself that he had convinced him to come.

"If you don't mind me asking, when did you start using?" Jim asked.

"You guys just jump right into the heavy stuff right away huh?" Kendall said, speaking for the first time since he walked into the building. "It's completely up to you if you want to talk about it or not." Jim said apologetically not trying to offend him. "For me it was when my wife left..." Jim went on to talk about how his wife had left and how she had taken their three kids with her. His drinking slowly started getting worse during the course of their marriage. With the stress of three children, money being tight and other obstacles he began drinking more and more. That was when his wife finally decided she had to take their children away from the toxic environment and left. His wife leaving, along with his children, was the trigger that set him further into a downward spiral. Jim's father had been an alcoholic, so alcoholism ran in his family it seemed. Ironically Jim's father was the one that had helped him to get his life back by bringing him to his first meeting. He went on, addressing Kendall mostly, telling him that things get better and it was only a matter of time. When Jim mentioned how his father was the one to help him get on track, Kendall immediately zoned out. He wished he and his father had a relationship where Kendall could count on him. For him to be a man Kendall could look up to, admire and strive to be like. Kendall hoped he turned out nothing like his father. Instead he hoped he was everything his father wasn't.

Once Jim had finished telling everyone what he had gone through, an awkward silence fell upon the room. It was as though they were all staring at Kendall to start speaking. Jim had been honest with him, he deserved for Kendall to be honest with him as well Kendall thought. Another man spoke up in a hushed voice, "Whatever is said here, stays here."

That might have just been the reassurance that Kendall needed to start speaking. "I guess I was fourteen." All eyes were on him, but there were no judgemental stares in sight. They all genuinely seemed interested in what he had to say. Which scared to crap out of him. He didn't like being vulnerable, he knew once he started talking and everything was on the table it couldn't be taken back. But he sure as hell couldn't talked to his family about this, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to talk.

"My older brother and I had always been close. But he changed. And so did our relationship." Glancing down Kendall looked ashamed at the fact that he let their relationship crumble. "It was like I lost my best friend." With his head down, he looked up slightly, seeing that no one had taken their eyes off him. He continued on, " The brother I once knew started becoming a nightmare. He wasn't fun to be around, mostly cause he wanted to be left alone. You never knew if he was going to snap at you or you'd see a glimpse of the happy guy he once was." He paused, realizing he didn't want to go into detail about what happened, he felt like he had already said too much. "I saw all of the other signs and never told anyone. My family blamed me for not telling them what was going on. But I was just a kid. I didn't know any better."

Looking around the room he became uncomfortable, their eyes were looking at him still. Some of them were confused at what he was saying and others were intrigued. All Kendall knew was that he wanted to end this conversation. "I'm here because I basically abandoned my brother. I never spoke up when I should have. I was blamed for what happened and I didn't know how to cope. I went to drugs as a way to numb everything. It numbed out everything, the feeling of hopelessness, guilt and all the bullshit." He quickly finished and looked at Jim. His eyes were full of understanding, not pity like Kendall had expected. With a simple nod, Jim thanked Kendall for sharing and allowed the rest of the men to tell their stories.

**That was just a glimpse of whats to come. I'm just going to keep writing this, regardless.**

**I really need to start updating more often.**


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